To Charm a Prince

by Grasso, Patricia;

  Samantha loved him now. How long would her love survive when she learned the truth about him? He was a prince but not what he appeared to the world. His whole life had been a lie. If only he could share the truth with her. If he did that, she would look with revulsion on him. How long would it be before Vladimir appeared and tossed the truth into her face? His brother would ruin other people’s lives in order to get what he wanted.

  He should reveal himself to her before that happened. On the other hand, what use would that be? She was already pregnant and had no choice but to marry him.

  When she awakened the next morning, Samantha was in a better frame of mind. Her sister’s cries of pain seemed like a bad dream. She dropped her hand to her belly and decided she could bear the pain. What mattered was giving the prince a child and making him happy.

  “Watch what a man does, not what he says.”

  Samantha recalled her aunt’s words. If he didn’t care just a little, the prince would have disregarded her fears. Instead, he’d held her until she slept. Perhaps the prince had not wanted to marry her, but he would be a good husband. She would be the best wife ever.

  Rolling over, Samantha spied the bread her aunt had left on the table. She sat up, leaned against the headboard, and ate the bread. After resting there for fifteen minutes to allow the bread to do its magic, she rose and dressed.

  Samantha walked into the dining room a short time later. Victoria was just finishing her breakfast.

  Her sister looked up when she entered. “Good morning, Aunt Samantha,” she said, and then held up two fingers. “We are the proud aunts of a boy and a girl.”

  “Angel had twins?” Samantha said, walking to the sideboard.

  “Douglas and Amber Campbell,” Victoria said, rising to leave. “I suppose this will be the year for babies.”

  After her sister had gone, Samantha lifted a plate off the sideboard and dropped onto it a spoonful of scrambled eggs, a lean piece of ham, and a roll with no butter. Then she grabbed the Times and sat at the table.

  “Excuse my boldness, my lady,” Tinker said, standing beside her. “Your breakfast isn’t enough to sustain a flea. Please, take a little more.”

  “I am fine as I am,” she told him.

  “As you wish,” Tinker said, and set a cup of tea beside her plate.

  Eating a leisurely breakfast alone was pleasant, but she’d much prefer eating with the prince. As if her thoughts had conjured the man, Prince Rudolf walked into the dining room. She set the newspaper aside when he wished her a good morning. Speaking was definitely a more appealing pastime than reading the newspaper.

  Without bothering to go to the sideboard, Rudolf set a portfolio down on the table and then sat beside her. He leaned close and planted a kiss on her cheek, making her blush.

  “How do you feel this morning?” Rudolf asked.

  “Much better,” Samantha answered. “Angelica has delivered twins, a boy and a girl.”

  “That is excellent news. If I have time later, we will go to Bond Street and purchase gifts for them,” Rudolf said. “When you visit her, I am certain she will be so happy with her babies that the pain of bringing them into the world will be forgotten.”

  “Excuse me, Your Highness,” Tinker said. “May I serve you something from the sideboard?”

  Rudolf nodded. “I will have whatever Lady Samantha is having.”

  Tinker returned within mere seconds and set a plate down in front of the prince. On the plate sat a teaspoon of scrambled egg, a contemptibly small slice of ham, and a roll with no butter.

  Rudolf looked at the plate and raised his gaze to the majordomo. Tinker responded by raising his brows and then looking at Samantha.

  “Samantha, you need more food than this.” Rudolf turned to the majordomo. “Bring us two plates of eggs, ham slices, rolls, and butter.”

  “No kippers, Your Highness?”

  The prince shook his head, his lips quirking into a smile. He burst out laughing when the man turned to Samantha, asking, “Fried kippers, my lady?”

  Samantha shook her head. “I’ll have the kippers another time, probably in a decade or two.”

  Within moments, Tinker returned and set the new plates down in front of them. Turning to walk away, the majordomo smiled in triumph at her.

  Samantha acknowledged his victory to get her to eat more. “Thank you, Tinker.”

  Without a word to her, Rudolf opened the portfolio and began to read the first page. Samantha watched him while he ate and read. The prince was easily the handsomest man she’d ever seen, and he cared for her enough to want to ease her fears.

  Caring wasn’t love, but perhaps a good beginning. At least, he wasn’t growling at her.

  Now that the prince sat beside her, Samantha decided that her appetite had returned. She didn’t want to disturb the prince at his work, so she turned to the Times and, began to read. The society column caught her attention again.

  Prince Rudolf Kazanov, recently returned from the Continent, was seen at several balls. Among them were Lady Wesley’s and the Countess of Bedford’s. Needless to say, the ladies—all blondes—swarmed the dashingly handsome prince. Where, oh where, could his little betrothed be hiding?

  Full-bodied jealousy swelled in her breast, and outraged anger swept through her. Slowly, she rose from her chair. “Tinker, could you please leave us. Close the door on your way out.”

  With a quizzical expression, Rudolf looked up from his papers. “Is something wrong?”

  “How could you?” Samantha burst out.

  Rudolf glanced at the newspaper. “Explain yourself.”

  “You bastard,” Samantha said, her anger blinding her to his slight flinch. “You made love to me and then left to continue your social life.”

  “You misunderstand,” Rudolf said mildly. “Sit down and finish your breakfast.”

  He wasn’t taking her seriously, which only made her angrier. She stared at him, though her bottom lip quivered with her supreme effort to hold her tears back.

  “I may be a pathetic cripple to you and that reporter,” Samantha told him, “but I am not stupid.”

  When she turned to leave, Rudolf grabbed her left wrist, saying, “I do not think you are—”

  Wham! Samantha closed her right fist and punched him, hitting him on the right cheekbone. Rudolf could only stare at her in stunned silence. Though injured, he never raised his hand to his face.

  Samantha stared at him in horrified silence. She’d struck him. Even now she could see the bruise forming on his cheekbone and beneath his eye.

  Samantha walked out of the dining room and went to her chamber. Losing her battle with tears, she lay on the bed and wept.

  How could she have been fooled by the prince again? Hadn’t he said he didn’t want to marry her? She was exactly what the reporter implied—pathetic. God, how everyone must be laughing at her.

  “Watch what a man does, not what he says.”

  Her aunt’s advice came back to haunt her. The prince’s actions were not so kind. He had continued his life as if she didn’t exist. Which of those ladies who had swarmed him at Emerson’s ball last June had clung to him at Lady Mayhew’s or Lady Wesley’s?

  Samantha knew one thing for sure. She could not live the remainder of her life like this. She would be insane before the end of the year.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Samantha ignored the knocking on her door. She knew who it was. How could she have struck him? She’d never struck anyone. Her only intelligent move had been to order the servants from the room before she slugged him.

  “Samantha.”

  Samantha slid off the bed and crossed the chamber. “Yes?”

  “May I come inside?” Rudolf asked. The door opened before she could answer, and he walked into the room.

  Samantha stared at the bruise rising on his handsome face. “I apologize for striking you. You probably won’t believe this, but before I met you, I had never struck anyone in my entire life.”

  �
�I believe you.” Rudolf reached out a hand to her.

  “I’m very tired.” Samantha stepped back a pace. “Could we possibly argue later?”

  The prince stared at her, his lips quirking at her outrageous request. Samantha did not see that because she kept her gaze fixed on the carpet. “I never meant to hurt your feelings.”

  “You didn’t,” she said, too proud to admit he’d hurt her. “Even if you did, I know you never meant it.”

  The prince relaxed. “Princess—”

  “I am not your princess,” Samantha interrupted. “You never wanted to marry me, and my pregnancy forced you into this.”

  “I did want to marry you,” Rudolf told her. “I wanted to marry you too much. I am attending social events to draw Vladimir out, and I despise all blondes.”

  Samantha stared at him. She didn’t know whether she should believe him or not.

  Rudolf shoved his hands in his pockets. “Zara will be arriving this afternoon. I hope you will show her kindness.”

  “Do you believe I would be unkind to her?”

  Rudolf gave her a grudging smile. “I trust you with my daughter.”

  She glanced toward the door. “I’m very tired.”

  “I’ll leave you, then.” He moved to kiss her, but she stepped back.

  Samantha stared at the door after he’d gone. He left her depleted of energy, and her damn hip hurt.

  * * *

  That late March afternoon felt more like the beginning of May. The warmth of those early spring days fooled the forsythia bushes, which had begun to open their yellow flowers.

  Holding her cane in front of her, Samantha sat with Mrs. Sweeting on the stone bench in the garden. The boys were tossing a ball around the garden in a rousing game of keep the ball away from Giles.

  “Lady Samantha, won’t you play with us?” Drake called.

  “I’ll watch today.”

  “We’ll let you be on Giles’ side,” Grant said, trying to entice her.

  Samantha laughed. “I don’t think so.”

  Drake walked over to her, looked at the cane, and then into her eyes. “Do you hurt today?”

  “My hip is a bit tired.”

  Offering his own brand of comfort, the eight-year-old put his arms around her neck and kissed her cheek. Then he turned to the elderly nanny.

  “Sweeting, if you play with us, I’ll let you be on my side,” Drake said.

  The woman laughed. “That is very appealing, but don’t you think I’m too old to run around the garden?”

  Drake shook his head. “You’re still young.”

  “Thank you, child,” Sweeting said. “If I ran around the garden, I would need to borrow Samantha’s cane. What would she use?”

  “I’ll ask the prince to buy another cane.”

  Samantha glanced toward the door. Rudolf stood there, holding his daughter’s hand.

  With a smile on her lips, Samantha rose from the bench and walked toward them. “Hello, Zara. You are very welcome here.”

  The little princess smiled but clung to her father’s hand. With pale blonde hair and blue eyes, she looked nothing like her father.

  Samantha raised her gaze to the prince, but he was staring at the cane. She gave her attention to the girl again. “I have some friends I would like you to meet.”

  “Are you in pain?” Rudolf asked.

  “My hip feels tired today.”

  “Carrying the child will not be good for your hip.”

  “I will be fine.”

  “I’m Drake,” said a voice beside her. “My name means dragon.”

  “My name is Grant,” another voice said. “It means great.”

  The boys stood on either side of Samantha and stared at the princess. “That lady over there is Sweeting,” Grant said. “She’ll make you wash behind your ears.”

  “The beastie is Giles,” Drake told the princess. “He likes to lick faces. What’s your name?”

  When the girl remained silent Rudolf said, “Tell them your name.”

  “Zara.”

  “What does it mean?” Drake asked.

  “Zara means princess,” Rudolf told them.

  “Drake and Grant are playing ball,” Samantha said. “Would you like to play with them?”

  Zara shook her head and tightened her grip on her father’s hand. “My daughter is unused to playmates.”

  “Continue your game,” Samantha told the boys, “and Zara will join you later.” She held out her hand to the girl, asking, “Would you like to sit on that bench with me?”

  Zara looked at her father and then at Samantha. For one awful moment, Samantha thought she would refuse, but then she released her father’s hand.

  Together, Samantha and Zara crossed the garden toward the bench. “Sit here between Sweeting and me,” she said to the girl. “Tell me, what games do you like to play?”

  When Zara remained silent, Samantha rambled on, “When the weather is warm, I like to lie on my back and watch the clouds make pictures in the sky. Does that appeal to you?”

  Zara smiled and nodded her head.

  Samantha glanced toward the door. With a worried expression, the prince still stood there and watched. She couldn’t fault him for that, though. The girl was all he had left of his beloved wife.

  “I love to smell the flowers in the spring and plant a butterfly garden,” Samantha told the girl. “When summer arrives, I listen for the flower fairies and roll down the grassy sides of hills. Once the leaves of autumn fall from the trees, I love to play in them. Sometimes, I even toss a handful into the air. Whenever it rains, I sit in front of the hearth and play my violin.”

  “What about winter?” Zara asked.

  “When winter comes,” Samantha said, “I make angels in the snow. Did you ever do any of those things?”

  “No, but I would like to,” Zara said.

  The deerhound chose that moment to appear in front of the girl. He sat at attention and lifted a paw into the air.

  “Giles is pleased to meet you and would like to shake your hand,” Samantha told her.

  Zara gave her a nervous smile and then touched the dog’s paw. “I am pleased to meet you, Giles.”

  Samantha glanced toward the door again. Rudolf had disappeared inside the mansion.

  Before an hour passed, Grant and Drake had charmed the princess into playing with them. Samantha watched the boys let the girl win every game. Soon the three of them lost interest in the ball and just gamboled around the garden.

  “Take them inside for a snack now,” Samantha instructed the nanny.

  Sweeting stood and called to the children, saying, “Come along now. We are going inside for cider and cookies.”

  Standing on either side of the girl, Grant and Drake took her hands in theirs. “Cook makes the best gingerbread cookies,” Grant told her.

  “You need to hold the cookie high,” Drake advised her. “If you don’t, Giles will steal it right out of your hand.”

  Followed by Sweeting, the children went inside. Only the deerhound remained in the garden. Giles sat beside her and rested his head on her lap.

  “You want your share of love, too,” Samantha said, stroking the dog’s head. When she looked down at the dog, she noted that her star ruby had darkened. Or was it a trick of the afternoon light?

  Enjoying the feeling of the sun’s warmth, Samantha closed her eyes as she stroked the dog’s head. Suddenly, the deerhound growled.

  “Good afternoon, my lady,” a heavily accented voice said.

  Samantha opened her eyes. Tall and well-built, a gentleman stood there. His black hair reminded her of someone she couldn’t quite place, but his blue eyes were cold and his mouth cruelly shaped.

  “Giles, relax.” The deerhound stopped growling but kept its gaze fixed on the stranger.

  “Sir, this is private property,” Samantha told him. “For whom were you looking?”

  “This is the Duke of Inverary’s home, is it not?” the man asked, ignoring her question.


  Samantha nodded. “Who are you?”

  “Prince Vladimir Kazanov,” he introduced himself, and bowed to her.

  Samantha tightened her grip on the cane, and her eyes widened with her surprise. She opened her mouth to order him away, but he spoke first.

  “I see that you recognize my name,” the prince said. “And you are?”

  “Samantha Douglas.”

  “Ah, my brother’s next victim,” Vladimir said. “I would like to speak to you.”

  Samantha stared him straight in the eye. “Speak and then leave.”

  Vladimir inclined his head. “I am willing to pay you a great amount of money if you will help me with a minor family matter.”

  “And that would be?”

  “I want you to steal the Kazanov Venus for me,” he told her. “It is—”

  “I know what it is,” Samantha interrupted. “I cannot be bought, Your Highness,”

  “That medallion is my birthright,” he said, stepping closer.

  Giles growled and stood, ready to lunge at the prince.

  “Sit, Giles.” Samantha rose from the bench and, at the same time, twisted the top of her cane off. She pointed the stiletto at the prince. “Your retainers tried to kill me.” She stepped closer to him, and he took a step back.

  “I do apologize for that misunderstanding.”

  “You don’t sound sorry.” Lifting her cane, Samantha touched the prince’s cheek with the stiletto’s tip.

  “Beware of my brother,” Vladimir said, slowly backing away from the stiletto. “I cannot understand the reason you would be loyal to a—”

  “Leave this garden now,” Samantha ordered, “or I will slit your throat.”

  “You don’t know?” Vladimir laughed without humor. “My dear, my brother keeps secrets.”

  “I am not your dear.”

  “If you change your mind,” Vladimir said, “I am staying at Montague House.” Then he left the garden.

  Samantha covered the stiletto and sat again to think about what had transpired. Possessing the Kazanov Venus made Vladimir desperate, and desperate men caused trouble. What secrets did the prince keep? If she asked him, he would lie. When he trusted her, Rudolf would tell her all.